3. Courtney
F or the first time in as long as I can remember, I wake up feeling well rested, having not had a nightmare. That feeling is quickly replaced by severe anxiety and humiliation over my actions last night.
I broke the rules. I got caught. I saw Maximus in a compromising position, and instead of running, I stayed to watch, like some creepy voyeur. Then, to top it off, I fingered myself to an amazing, earth-shattering orgasm whilst picturing myself on my knees for him, while he uses and degrades me.
I should probably start packing now, as there’s no way he’s not going to kick me out. And even if by some miracle he doesn’t, how the hell am I ever going to be able to look at him again?
I groan loudly as I force myself to get out of bed and into the shower. No matter how hard I try, or how hot the water is, it doesn’t make me feel any cleaner.
I pull on some black leggings and a baggy T-shirt, before lacing up my trainers, so I’m ready for the gym later. But before that, I need coffee.
One of the many members of staff who work here would bring it to me in an instant if I asked, but I like having something to do. Making my own coffee makes me feel that little bit more normal.
Given that I haven’t seen Maximus at all during the time I’ve been here—last night very much not included—I’m not at all worried about running into him.
It’s just after nine in the morning, and he’s usually started his meetings by now, according to Mrs Branch, who likes to keep me updated with all the house gossip.
As I enter the large, beautiful kitchen, I smile at Mrs Branch, who is already sitting at the table with a mug of coffee in one hand, while she writes in her notebook with the other. She offers me a warm smile as soon as I walk into the room.
“Morning, Courtney. You look well rested this morning. The pot of coffee is still fresh, so help yourself,” she says, pointing towards the almost full pot that’s steaming away on the side.
After thanking her, I move around the kitchen with ease, having thoroughly explored the cabinets to find where everything was a couple of days ago. I make my coffee the way I like it, and take a seat at the table opposite Mrs Branch.
“Would you like me to request some breakfast for you?” she asks as soon as I sit down, her gaze raking over me disapprovingly when she sees I don’t have any food in front of me.
I shake my head, replying as politely as I can. “No, thank you. I’m not very hungry.”
I don’t bother telling her that my nerves are making me nauseous, or that there’s a good chance I would throw all the delicious food back up again, if I were to try and eat anything.
She narrows her gaze at me, tutting in an almost motherly way that makes my orphan heart ache. “You have to eat, Dear. You’re far too thin as it is, and you are always in that bloody gym. Mr Morelli will not be happy to learn you’re skipping meals.”
I’m in the process of lifting the mug to my lips when her words have me freezing, the mere mention of him capturing my attention. “How would he know if I skip a meal?” I ask.
Mrs Branch’s gaze flicks around nervously as she shuffles in her seat, suddenly looking very uncomfortable. She avoids meeting my inquisitive stare as she answers my question. “He likes to be kept up to date with all aspects of the house.”
“So you’re his spy?” I snap.
Her gaze quickly flicks up to meet mine, and she looks properly offended as she pulls her shoulders back straighter, her voice taking on a stern tone I’m not used to hearing from her. “I am not. But he is my boss, and I do as I’m instructed.”
There are so many questions running through my head that I want to ask her, as I’m almost certain she’d know the answers.
How many visitors does he have?
Do they come over regularly?
Do they sleep here at the Mansion too?
Does he ask about me?
Is he avoiding me for a reason?
I quickly decide against voicing any of the thoughts, as Mrs Branch would almost certainly know that I had broken the rules to even find out about the other women. I like this warm, almost maternal lady, and I’m not ready for her to learn just how crazy I really am just yet.
Instead, I force myself back to the conversation we were having before my thoughts ran away from me. “Fine, I’ll grab a croissant or a muffin and eat it while I’m walking outside. I fancy getting a bit of fresh air this morning.”
Even though I’m safe in the Mansion, it can be a little stifling, particularly when I feel like I’m trapped here.
But the grounds are expansive, with beautiful flower patches and stunning water features, so there’s always something to explore.
Particularly as I have no intention of going beyond the walls of the estate whilst my stalker is still out there.
I don’t think I’ve even come close to seeing all of the grounds yet, but I enjoy being outside with nature whenever the weather permits it. Today, there’s enough sun, and very little wind, making the ideal conditions for a stroll.
I notice Mrs Branch tapping away on her phone, and only a couple of minutes later, a young girl about my age, wearing chef’s whites, walks into the kitchen, carrying a plate of pastries.
She hold them out in front of me, and I’m overwhelmed by the pile of baked goods in front of me, the tantalising aroma making my mouth water as I realise I’m more hungry than I thought.
“Pick whichever you’d like,” Mrs Branch says, ignoring the way I glare at her for giving me so much choice.
When faced with this many delicious-looking baked goods, there’s no way I’m going to be able to choose just one, no matter how delicate my stomach is feeling.
There’s a cinnamon bun and a pain aux chocolate that are calling out to me, so I quickly reach for them. The girl, who is rather impressively still holding the large tray with just one hand, uses her other to hold out a couple of serviettes for me to take.
I place the pastries onto the napkins, and give her a smile as I thank her for the food. When she’s sure I’m not going to take anything more, she gives both me and Mrs Branch a polite nod, before leaving the room.
“What the hell just happened?” I say, more to myself than anyone else.
Mrs Branch laughs, before going on to explain that there’s a whole level to the Mansion that I know nothing about.
“There’s an underground level that is exclusively for the staff who work at the Mansion.
It has its own kitchen, which is where the chefs prepare all of the meals.
There are also living quarters for anyone who chooses to live-in.
“We have a group text that we use to issue tasks. I knew the chef would have a selection of fresh pastries available, as they often cater for Mr Morelli’s meetings, and they feed the staff too. So I issued a task to have someone bring you a selection.”
I shake by head in confusion, trying to wrap my head around the amount of information in one sentence. “Why the hell do you have a beautiful, grand kitchen like this if nobody even uses it?”
From the moment I walked into the kitchen on my first day, I fell in love with it. Even though I’m not a very good cook, I know my way around a kitchen, and I really enjoy baking, when I’m in the mood. This room is exactly how I would design it if I were given free reign to create my dream kitchen.
It has sleek white wooden cabinets, with black and white marble countertops. The built-in appliances are all modern and chrome, where they’re not hidden behind the white wood. There’s a floating island in the middle, with tall stools on one side for people to sit on.
One wall is a floor to ceiling window that folds up to make a door out onto the patio, which overlooks the large expanse of grass at the back of the Mansion.
The large wooden table we’re sitting at is in front of the window, bathing us in the bright morning sun, whilst giving us a beautiful view as we sip on our coffee.
“In the past, it was used all of the time. Mrs Morelli, Marcus’ mum, loved to cook. This room was designed just the way she wanted it, and although it has been modernised several times over the years, it’s still very reminiscent of her original design, and what she loved.”
At the mention of Marcus’ mum, I recoil slightly, so shocked to hear her being spoken about. She died when Marcus was five, and I hadn’t even been born then. Miles told me that Marcus rarely mentions his mum anymore, but he used to talk about her when they were younger.
I haven’t seen a single trace of her as I’ve been exploring the Mansion.
I expected to see at least a picture of her, or some hint that she once called this place home.
But since it’s been over twenty years since she died, and there are no other personal items on display either, it’s not too surprising.
“Has nobody really used the kitchen since?” I ask, trying to distract myself from asking more questions about the woman Maximus once loved and married.
Mrs Branch narrows her gaze on me, clearly having picked up on the question I asked without actually saying the words. “Mr Morelli has never publicly dated since his wife’s death. Other than Marcus, you’re the only person to have ever stayed at the Mansion.”
My eyes widen a little at that, and I have to blink quickly to try and hide my shock from Mrs Branch, who seems to see everything.
In some ways, it’s not that much of a surprise that nobody else has ever lived at the Mansion.
Maximus is clearly a very private person, who doesn’t like to share his personal space.
I also can’t help but wonder if Mrs Branch chose her words carefully. She said that Maximus hasn’t dated in public, but does that mean she’s aware of the less than savoury things he gets up to in private?
I’m pulled out of my thoughts when Mrs Branch’s chair scrapes along the marble floor as she pushes it back, getting to her feet. She places her mug in the sink, and makes her way towards the door, pausing only to pull out her phone.
Her brow furrows as she stares at the screen, looking confused by whatever she’s reading. She then turns to me, a curious expression on her face. “Mr Morelli would like me to request that you join him for dinner in the informal dining room at seven tonight.”
“What?” I blurt out, my eyes growing wide as my cheeks heat .
Mrs Branch continues like she didn’t hear my outburst. “I will stop by your room this afternoon to help you choose something suitable to wear, and then I’ll collect you just before seven to show you to the informal dining room, so you don’t get lost.”
I breathe a sigh of relief when I hear that, as I have no fucking clue which room is the informal dining room, or if I even know where it is. Then my nerves return with a vengeance as I consider what type of event it might be to require having a pre-approved outfit.
Mrs Branch takes my stunned silence as agreement, telling me she’ll see me soon, before leaving me lost in my anxiety. Why does he want to have dinner with me now, after what happened last night? He’s been more than content to ignore more for the last week, but now he isn’t?
Although my nerves are dominating my body, making me tremble as I start to sweat, there’s a small part of me that’s a bit excited. No matter how much I try to ignore it, Maximus Morelli intrigues me, especially after what I witnessed last night.
I know I should be scared, but I’m not. I also should want to keep my distance, since he’s the epitome of off-limits—he’s significantly older than me, he’s dangerous, he’s far more sexually experienced than I am, and he’s my brother’s boss.
The list could go on, yet I don’t seem to care about any of those things.
Maximus Morelli draws me in like a moth to a flame. He’s pulling me in without even trying, and I’m not sure I want to stop him.